UPDATE: Sybil Fielding does not believe Shireoaks site is suitable for planned incinerator

Official opening of new view point at Shireoaks, pictured is Coun Sybil Fielding (w130716-4c)

Sybil Fielding, the former Chairman of the Notts County Council Planning Committee, has admitted that she would not support plans for an incinerator to be placed in Worksop.

Fielding has told this newspaper that it has got to the extent where she believes that the Shireoaks Road site is the wrong place, but supported claims made last week that no planning applications have been submitted as of yet.

It has been widely expected that Kilbride and their consultants, Pegasus, were preparing an application for this summer, but after discussing various different factors with the Council with regards to the site, Fielding has revealed discussions have cooled in the past few weeks.

The main sticking point with the Shireoaks Road site is the mess that has been left behind by Nottinghamshire Recycling Limited, which went into administration back in May.

Anybody wanting to purchase the site have been told that they will also have to stump up the cash to take on its liabilities, and in this particular case, the cost is thought to be in the region £5 million.

“It’s got to the extent now where I do believe it is the wrong site,” Fielding said.

“The site is to near to the local housing and I can understand why the local people are so fearful after Nottinghamshire Recycling Limited made their lives unbearable.”

Mike Wild, who is campaigning against the installation of an incinerator, believes the County Council needs to seriously consider the health concerns that come with an incinerator.

More than 2,000 residents have signed a petition against its installation, but Wild, a former principal lecturer in environmental science at Sheffield Hallam University, insists it is hard to prove the bad effects of local pollution.

“There’s an overwhelming feeling in Shireoaks that we don’t want the incinerator.

“Health doesn’t seem to be beng taken into consideration and it is hard to prove the bad side of air pollution.

“You have things like infant mortality, but Worksop doesn’t have that strong voice.”